The Prince and The Wolf

LXV

Chapter 65: I Miss You

♚♥♞

Don't you dare run away. She warned herself. Not again. Don't do that to Carl.

Min attempted a laugh, but she saw Carl's expression grow serious.

Her smile morphed into a look of realization. Her hesitating eyes hovered on his before she looked down at her hands. She was sweating.

"Carl..." She began. "Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"

He stood up awkwardly.

He was going to run away, like me.

She thought about grabbing him but realized she could not force him to stay.

"I... I like you very much, Carl." She replied, blinking rapidly. "I do, I just... I can't do that to you."

"Do what?" He whispered.

"I can't pretend to love you."

He staggered and sat back down, unable to look at her.

"That's why you..." He breathed. "That's why you never brought it up, or kissed me. You missed him so much and you realized it."

"Him?" Min asked softly, a weak laugh falling out of her lips. She then stopped.

"Min, why didn't you ever run after him?"

She looked up at the sky. "I thought I could come to love you more."

A tear rolled down her cheek, even after she vowed to stop crying.

"I was happy." She sniffed. "I was very happy, Carl."

He sighed.

"But not in love." He finished for her. "Not with me."

She gulped, nodding. She couldn't deny it. Although he wished she would. He wished that she would change her mind and say yes. But even if she did, it would be a cage of a relationship. Their relationship would reduce her to a smiling figure who felt no love as she kissed him. She would become...

"I think I should go home." She stood up. "By myself."

He stared at her, taking in her red cheeks, her eyes. She was biting her lip.

"Go." He replied, lowering his eyes.

And she went.

---

She felt like not going to school. She felt miserable. Carl didn't change much except he was hesitant to touch her. They talked. There was a pain in the back of his eyes, and she saw it. But she pretended she didn't.

And still, she avoided Kade.

She couldn't do anything about it. Her hands shook around him. She desperately wanted him in her sight and at the same time, she did not. Every time she heard his voice, she lingered to hear it a bit longer. She knew his sweet talk. She knew his serious voice. But never, once, could she hear the mischievous smirk.

"Min, we're going to be late!" Kristy screeched, racing ahead.

"Whoa—Wait, what!?"

"C'mon!"

"I know already—Ah!"

Someone caught her, and she was washed over with familiar cologne. Her eyes watered, and she instantly knew who it was. He was holding her by her arms.

She couldn't look at him in the face. "Thanks." She mumbled, slipping out of his grasp and running after Kristy.

Kade stared down at the space that used to be occupied by her, and he was breathless.

He forced himself to keep walking. What was he going to do? Yank her back and tell her that he was madly in love with her?

A month away from you, and I still feel the same nervousness.

That was not a good thing for his plan to move on.

But he couldn't stop imagining showing her the new painting in his room.

I miss you. He admitted.

---

"Are you okay, Min?" Kristy asked her in class. Min nodded profusely.

"Well, you bumped into..." Kristy lowered her voice. "Kade."

"It's no bi—big deal. A bump. Into him. I, I are, I'm, I'm fine!"

Kristy looked concerned and patted Min's hand.

Min breathed in deeply and removed her own hand, letting it fall to the side. "I'm really, really fine."

"I never knew what happened between you two."

"It's really stupid, I don't want to remember it." She replied quickly.

"Alright." 

♚♥♞

Do you think it was right of Min to do that?